Recycle Malaysia is a key aspect of the overall well being of Urban regions of the country and there have been many projects undertaken by the government of Malaysia with an aim of reducing country’s solid waste production by more than 40 per cent by the year 2020 going by the current rates of Recycle Malaysia.
The Deputy Minister of the Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Ministry, Datuk Halimah Mohd Sadique, had given a call that the objective can be achieved if all the stakeholders including the private sector, local authorities, and the citizens can work together to improve the recycling rate in Recycle Malaysia. If the rate of Recycle Malaysia goes ahead as planned then total greenhouse gas emissions from recycling methods such as landfill sites can be reduced 38 per cent by the year 2020.
Malaysians generated 17,000 tonnes of solid waste per day by the year 2005. This figure rose to 25,000 tonnes by 2012. If Recycle Malaysia is not carried out en masse then the landfill sites will most likely be overwhelmed very soon. There are plans to increase the recycling rates by local authorities to at least 22 percent by the year 2020. Currently Recycle Malaysia involves around 95 to 97 percent of the entire solid waste which has been collected in Malaysia and disposed off in landfill sites, whereas only three to five per cent of the total waste is processed in recycling companies.
A study organised by the ministry in 2012 indicated that the recycling rates in Malaysian homes have grown from five per cent in the year 2005 to 9.7 per cent by 2011. This is giving hope that 22 per cent is achievable by 2020. Regular recycling and Recycle Malaysia is highly beneficial for the environment and is also expected to boost the economy. The Recycle Malaysia industry touched RM476 million in 2011 and currently it is worth more than RM600 million. More the recycling by people more is the income generated as part of Recycle Malaysia. This can be termed as ‘waste to wealth’ concept which can be a reality only if people start clearing their homes of recyclable materials. It is estimated that a staggering amount of 21 million kilograms of recyclable objects are stocked in households such that each family on an average keeps 0.07 kg of recyclable objects each day.
The Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak, recently made a statement that Malaysia is fully on track to fulfill pledge of achieving a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 for Recycle Malaysia. The pledge was made at the United Nations Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen in 2009. The PM of the country has reportedly assured that Malaysia is committed to a 40 percent reduction in terms of greenhouse gas emissions as ratio of gross domestic product by the year 2020, when compared with the levels of 2005. Being a developed country, it is important that Recycle Malaysia kicks off consistently which helps the country adhere to world-class standards and operational practises.
